CHAPTER THIRTEEN: CHLOE

It’d been much easier than I’d thought to settle into a working routine in the extension at Buckley Cottage with Theodore.

My concerns about us working in the same space had, thus far, been unfounded. All my calls were being redirected to a secondary mobile phone that we’d brought with us, meaning I could easily escape the office if we both needed to speak on the phone so neither of us were disturbed.

We worked in silence for the most part. I’d grown accustomed to wearing my earbuds and listening to music or a podcast while Theodore was on calls, and he’d quickly recognised that he needed to message me on the company messaging app if he needed me during that time.

It was a different way of working than what we were both used to, and I wasn’t sure we’d have settled in quite as quickly as we had over the past four days if we weren’t both quick at adapting.

It helped that we knew how the other worked. My efficiency hadn’t decreased in the slightest, even with having a tougher means of communicating with Daniel and Melody back in the main office. They’d been lifesavers in gathering reports and information for me, and more than that, I was more up on the office gossip than I’d ever been in my life.

I didn’t allow for gossiping in the office, but apparently, Melody didn’t consider me being in the office, so the group chat was exactly where she was unloading everything she heard.

It was quite impressive how much information she managed to garner about our colleagues in such short periods of time.

What was even more impressive was how chaotic the office had become in a mere week since we’d left.

Well. I wasn’t sure it was that the office had become chaotic, but more that I was previously unaware of just how messy the interpersonal relationships were there. I paid little to no attention to the lives of my coworkers.

According to Daniel, I had a ‘one-track mind for Mr Black’ in the office.

I mean, of course.

It was my job.

The little box that connected the video doorbell to the Wi-Fi dinged with the doorbell noise, making me jump.

Theodore reached for his phone and leapt to his feet. “I’ve got it.”

I rubbed the back of my aching neck and frowned. “Are you sure, sir?”

“Yes, it’s a delivery for me.”

A delivery for him?

I didn’t know he could order things on his own.

I eyed him suspiciously as he rushed out of the office. Whatever. I’m sure it was important for him to be running around like that, but I had to get back to work confirming next week’s meetings.

The lettings office for the holiday rentals that’d come with the acquisition of Adair Travel was opening next Saturday with a promotional event, which meant all the meetings for anything else would have to be squished into Tuesday and Wednesday.

The lake cottages weren’t the only property Black Ink Corporation had acquired during the purchase of Adair Travel. Three holiday parks packed with caravans and lodges plus a few holiday rental houses had come with it, and given that it was almost the Easter break, the holiday parks were almost fully booked out for the next few weeks.

The lettings office that was opening was little more than a travel agency for staycations, but it stood to gain the attention of not only those who visited the properties regularly, but also those who’d never been.

Also, the public opinion of Adair Travel had gone down, so turning that around was of the utmost importance. Opening a store on the high street in the bustling tourist town of Buckley Heath was going to do wonders for the company’s image.

“Sir, what on Earth is that?” I asked, staring at Theodore lugging a huge box into the office.

“This is for you,” he said, hauling it in front of my desk. “It’s a computer monitor.”

“But I have my laptop.”

“Yes, and you’ve been rubbing your neck for the last two days. Your posture using it is awful, and I can’t let it continue, so here.” He patted the top of the box. “I don’t have any meetings until later, so let’s get it set up. I have a cable to connect it to your laptop.”

“For two screens?”

“For two screens.”

I pressed my hand to my chest. “It’s like a dream come true.”

“You’re a simple woman to please, aren’t you?”

“Well, as you said, I’ve been rubbing my neck for the last two days. This screen is so small.”

“That’s a seventeen-inch laptop, Chloe.”

“And my monitor in the office is thirty-four. That makes my laptop small,” I countered, pushing my chair back.

“Good thing I bought the right size, then.” He loosened his tie and pulled it over his head, then tossed it on his desk and undid the first three buttons of his shirt. He looked down to undo the buttons on his sleeves and roll them up to his elbows, and I blinked at him.

Buttons undone far enough that I could glimpse his dark chest hair? Shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows? Messy hair after he ran his fingers through it?

What kind of fresh horny hell was this?

“Chloe. I need some scissors.” He rapped his knuckles against my desk. “What are you staring at?”

I jerked myself out of my momentary, misplaced thirst for my boss and opened my drawer. I grabbed the scissors and handed them over. “I was wondering why you appear to be undressing in the middle of the workday, sir.”

“Did that warrant such an intense gaze, Miss St. James?”

“Forgive me. I was momentarily horrified at the prospect of seeing you naked.”

Theodore put the scissors back on the desk and looked up at me. “It appears that our cohabitation is little more than repeated humbling for me.”

“I’m glad to be of service.”

“Who’s the boss here? You or me?”

I paused, tilting my head to the side. “That’s you, of course, sir.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you pausing then.” He stood up, pulling the screen out of the box. “Move this box for me.”

I walked around to him and pulled the box away. As he laid the screen down on the empty part of my desk, I dug around in the box for the instructions and screws before handing them over.

It didn’t take long for Theodore to attach the stand to the monitor, and it only took a few minutes after that to get it in place on my desk and connected to my laptop.

Just like that, I had a human workspace again.

The screens we had in the office weren’t even this nice—they were hardly ancient, but this one was curved, and the blue-light filter meant the screen was easy on the eyes.

“Hmm.” Theodore grabbed the back of my chair and leant forwards, looming over me from behind. “That’s a better screen than I thought it was.”

My heart thumped in my chest. “You’re rather close, sir.”

“Am I?” There was an almost teasing note to his voice, and I curled my toes inside my slippers.

Yes.

He was close.

Remarkably close.

And he bloody well knew it—but I’d be damned if I’d show him that I was affected by our proximity. Even if I could feel the heat from his body when he leant in closer and took my mouse, brushing his finger against mine.

“Are these the notes for my next meeting?”

Work.

Right.

I could do this. More to the point, all I had to do to feel better was call up Imaginary Chloe with her weaponised box file and imagine raising it to conk my boss right in the nose.

It was surprising how therapeutic mental violence was.

“Yes, sir. I sent them to you this morning.”

“I didn’t see.” He crouched so his chest was touching my shoulder.

Was this workplace harassment?

It felt like workplace harassment.

Then again, I was the one who’d just been staring at him and musing over how attractive he was, so perhaps I didn’t have room to talk.

I liked working with him a lot more when there was a wall between our desks, and he barked orders at me instead of getting all up in my business.

Huh.

Whoever thought I’d miss the office?

Moreover, whoever thought I’d miss my boss being a cold, unfeeling bastard?

There was a reason people said be careful what you wish for.

This was it.

This was the fucking reason.

I cleared my throat and reached for my water bottle. “Would you like me to resend it, sir?”

Sir. Sir. Sir.

I had to build that professional wall back between us. The one he’d just torpedoed with how fucking close he was to me right now.

I was going to have a heart attack if he didn’t move his stupid aristocratic arse.

“No need, I’m almost done here.” He scrolled down the using the roller on the mouse.

I turned my face away from him and put my water bottle in my mouth, only to bite down on the straw instead of drinking.

This was good.

This was fine.

I was fine.

Totally fine.

Absolutely, completely, utterly, unequivocally fucking fine.

“Actually, can you resend it? That last point is quite complicated, and having your notes would be a big help.”

Imaginary Chloe raises her box file and hits The Bastard in the nose! He staggers back, clutching his face, and she comes in from the side with a deadly blow that knocks him to his knees!

“Of course, sir,” I said tightly, putting my bottle down. “Your meeting starts in ten minutes and it’s a video call, so please get yourself dressed properly.”

He sighed, straightening up and finally giving me some space. “I really do think you’re the boss here sometimes, you know.”

I barely resisted the urge to sigh. “Just please do up your shirt and put on your tie.”

“All right, all right.” He walked back to his desk, buttoning his shirt as he went. “By the way, what’s for dinner?”

Vodka and regret, probably.

Maybe that was just my dinner.

“I’ll let you know when I’ve decided what I have the energy to cook,” I replied, glancing over at him. “Your tie is wonky.”

He flashed me a grin. “Fix it for me?”

My work phone trilled, and I picked it up with a smile. “I’m afraid I have to answer this,” I said, swiping to answer the call. “Good afternoon, you’ve reached the office of Vice-President Theodore Black. This is Chloe St. James. How can I help you?”

The Bastard—he was back to that moniker for those antics just now—stared at me across the room, and I smiled my famously cool professional smile as I met his eyes.

“Chloe!”

“Your Grace,” I said quietly, scooting my chair back.

Theodore’s eyes went wide, and he jumped to his feet, waving his arms from side to side as if to tell me not to speak to him.

“Give me a moment. Mr Black is about to start a video meeting, so I’ll have to go elsewhere to talk to you.” I wiggled my fingers at my boss and darted out of the room before he could stop me.

If there was one person Theodore Black was powerless against, it was his grandfather.

“Thank you for waiting,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I don’t want to disturb his meeting.”

“Of course,” the duke replied. “I should have checked to see if it’s a good time.”

“Nonsense. It’s always a good time to talk to you, Your Grace.”

“When will you start calling me Grandpa?”

“When you adopt me, or I marry one of your grandchildren. Neither of which are going to happen.”

He made a little ‘hmm’ noise. “If you don’t marry Theo, let me know. I’ll definitely adopt you.”

This old man was crazy. “Of course. To what do I owe the pleasure today?”

“On the contrary, it’s my pleasure to speak to my favourite girl,” he replied smoothly. “I wanted to make sure that scoundrel wasn’t being a brat to you.”

There it was.

I wondered how long it would take him to use one of his little pet names for his grandson. Honestly, anyone who listened to him would think he hated Theodore, but that couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth.

If I knew one thing, it was that His Grace, Charles Arthur William Black, the Duke of Ruxleigh, doted on his eldest grandson to the point of the absolute ridiculous.

Sometimes it really did feel like he was mildly obsessed with him.

And that would be because he… well, he was.

Even when he was bickering with him.

“Chloe? You’re hesitating. Do I need to come up there and set that swine straight?”

“No, no!” I said hurriedly. “I was just distracted by a cat outside.”

“Are you sure? I know when you’re lying to me.”

“Your Grace, please, as if I could lie to you.” I was absolutely lying. “It’s going much better than I thought it would. Mr Black is surprisingly considerate, if a little domestically useless.”

The duke chuckled. “I suspect that won’t be the case by the time you return from your trip.”

“He’s getting used to doing the dishes,” I said with a small laugh of my own. “So, progress is being made.”

“Good. Will you tell him to call me later? He won’t pick up when I try him.”

“Of course.” I opened the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice with my name written on it.

I had no choice but to do that because someone had a habit of drinking from the carton.

Spoiler: I was not that someone.

“Thank you. I won’t bother you any longer, dear,” he said. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

I smiled as I poured a glass of juice. “I’ll speak to you soon, then.”

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, putting the carton back in the fridge door. The phone call was largely pointless, as most of his were, but I’d long grown used to them since he’d retired.

He was having trouble letting go of the office.

I carried my juice back into the office where Theodore was in the middle of the video call. He didn’t so much as glance in my direction as I took a seat behind my desk and my shiny new computer screen.

I stretched my arms out in front of me as the company messenger box popped up in the corner.

Theodore: What did he want?

Me: He wanted to make sure you were being nice to me.

Theodore: I think he should be concerned about it the other way around.

Me: You should focus on your meeting, sir.

Theodore: No need. They’re arguing over something I’m going to veto anyway.

I wasn’t sure that was a reason not to focus on the meeting, but he was the boss, so who was I to argue?

Theodore: I’m hungry.

Me: Unfortunately, it’s not time for me to get off work yet.

Theodore: …

Theodore: Have you finished your work?

Me: Mostly.

Theodore: Mostly is good enough. You can finish up tomorrow.

Me: Sir, it’s Saturday tomorrow.

Theodore: What do you have left to do?

Me: I have to gather the data from the Sango project.

Theodore: That’s not a priority. My empty stomach is.

Who was this man and what had he done with the monster boss who demanded overtime to get all the work done on the planned day?

Me: …Are you telling me to end my day before I’m done with my work, sir?

Theodore: Feeding me is part of your job.

Me: Technically, it’s not.

Theodore: Neither is arguing, but you’re doing that.

I brought my fist to my mouth and coughed into it to hide my laugh.

Me: …If I agree to this, can I do yoga and take a bath first? If your call is nothing but arguments, it’s going to go on for at least another hour with Mr Govind there.

Theodore: Don’t point that out.

Theodore: Fine. Go do your yoga and take a bath.

Theodore: And don’t say I never do anything nice for you.

Me: Yes, sir. You are a most gracious and thoughtful boss.

Theodore: Does that mean you’ll change your mind about resigning?

Me: You’re not *that* gracious and thoughtful, sir.